The Invitation (part two)

Continuing ‘The Invitation’, my versification of Scott Ludlam’s speech. Today’s instalment, only three stanzas, takes us to 3:13 of 7:34.

‘Sandgropers have a generous, welcoming soul,
but if when here you boast of your endeavour
to bankrupt the alternatives to coal,
hamstring the ABC, and also sever
state funds from SBS, to dig a hole
and bury same-sex marriage; of your ever
more insidious attacks on work-
ing people, then we’ll treat you like a jerk.

‘Life’s hard enough without three years of you
and your lot working hard to make things worse.
Awkward that you seek out the point of view
of billionaires and oligarchs averse
to Sunday loadings, decent pay – ah, true,
less awkward than revolting. But this curse
will pass. Your sad benighted time won’t last.
We need to raise our sights. The world is vast.

‘The reign of dinosaurs in the cretaceous
was cut short – Oops! dead, buried and cremated!
A like surprise may lurk – Oh goodness gracious! –
in store for you, Hon Tony, perhaps you’re slated
to be just a thin greasy layer of ashes
for research into politics that’s dated
early 21st CE.’ I smile.
He’s having fun. Chris Kenny called it vile.

To be continued. (Chris Kenny’s exchange with Senator Ludlam at the link is amusing.)

3 responses to “The Invitation (part two)”

Visited one of my old bosses in Blackheath to-day – from Pymble to there and back by train (six hours of reading) – finishing Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil – then moving on to Martin Amis – his autobiography from 2001. Scott Ludlam’s name/speech was part of our conversation. Your continuing poetic re-write is wonder full – and goodness hasn’t ithe speech itself got under the skin of Chris Kenny – couldn’t have happened to a nicer chap – the exclamation point being Mark Colvin’s engagement! What a good man HE is – and how snide Chris Kenny on our ABC! Anyway those asides aside – looking forward to your next instalment.

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